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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Monday, December 19, 2016

In A Vase on Monday

Can it be only one week before Christmas? Thank goodness for gift cards that can be sent electronically! With the freeze earlier in the week, there were surprisingly a few blooms in the garden that could be brought in but I decided to use greens instead.

This container, a gift from my friend and neighbor Sandy is a favorite and seemed appropriate for the season.

The poinsettia was a gift from a coworker at school. The holly came from my garden but the spruce and juniper branches were foraged nearby (Floral department at our local everything store.)

Since there were so many evergreens in the bunch and since I also wanted to use my fifty cent thrift store after Christmas sale vase, I put together another arrangement

Believe it or not, there are still bright red leaves on Berberis 'Orange Rocket.' Since some gardener planted them too close to a path, they have to be pruned a lot so why not now?

A few pine cones from the collection.

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Joining the arrangement is a bowl made by a potter whose name I've forgotten but whose work is at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show every year. Her pieces are fun and each year I have a difficult time trying to decide on one or two as they're all wonderful. It's a totally different style but sort of a variation on the theme of the vase.

For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to throw in some Italian glass candy. They'll be put somewhere else.

In a vase on Monday is hosted each month by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. Click here to see what she's put in a vase today and to find links to the blogs of other participating bloggers.

Playing with some of the new picture editing preset things on Google Photos,

11 comments:

Two gorgeous creations. I certainly wish I had a neighbor who gave me such a beautiful vase. I love that style of container. My Orange Rockets aren't big enough to prune yet but I will have to consider it in the future since I want to limit their size. It is a perfect color to make those greens really pop. I love going to art fairs and knowing a favorite potter will be there. Our house is filled with the work of our favorite artists. Happy Holidays.

Love the bowl with the crow/blackbird! This is the perfect time of the year to be using the evergreen branches for your creation, I'm so glad you decided to do that rather than gather flowers ahead of the recent freeze.

As always you collect your vase contents from a range of sources with a very successful result - I am not a poinsettia fan in any way, but do think they look better surrounded by other things, just as yours is. Both vases capture the festive season perfectly - and the pretty pottery bowl and the glass sweets fit the colour scheme so well. Thanks for sharing, and have a good Christmas time

These two arrangements are very festive and holiday-appropriate. The evergreen branches last so long, they would carry you through the season without additional effort on you part. The blueish juniper berries add so much to the composition; I like to crush them and inhale their amazing scent. Hmmm... did you say Flower and Garden Show?

Oh my, yes. It just wouldn't be Christmas without a tree. In fact, there are several, one in the attic and three in the basement all tucked away in their boxes. I thought about putting one of them up. It's the thought that counts, right?

About Me

Why Outlaw Gardener? I like to break the rules of good taste, plant placement, and plant hardiness. Also, I have received periodic "love notes" from the city code enforcement officer telling me that my parking strip plants encroach on the city's right-of-way. When expressing my distress over the latest such notice, I exclaimed to my pal Loree (Danger Garden) "I'm an outlaw gardener!" To which she replied,"That would be a good name for a blog."
My first gardens were in Southeast Alaska (zone 3.)I do miss the beauty and community of small-town Alaska but I don't take for granted for a moment how wonderful it is to garden in zone 8.